Pathways
by harsens-rob
Summary: Spanderverse Story 16: Drusilla shows up in Sunnydale on her way to L.A. to rescue Spike from his imprisonment. She ends up with a new nemesis, sort of and a new friend. Our old detective friend, Lt. Stein from Season 2 of BTVS makes a choice.
1. Drusilla

Disclaimer: Legal stuff, don't own characters, haven't made any money, this is for entertainment purposes, no profit earned, lawyers go away. –_kisses-_

**You can comment on this or any Spanderverse stories by visiting the Spanderverse forum under the Buffy topic! You can also read my commentary on 'To Dream', 'After 314', 'Spike', and 'Dracula'. Emails are welcome as is R & R. I respond to all correspondence.**

POV: Shifts Perspective

Spoiler Alert: There are tidbits from past episodes and Spanderverse: stories.

Notes: Story number seventeen in the Spanderverse-universe, following "_Feints and Counter Feints_". Everything from the television series through the defeat of Adam also occurred as depicted, in the Spanderverse.

People's thoughts are depicted in _italics_. You'll find emphasis depicted with an underline.

More Notes: BIG thanks to Joss, the ME creative team and the crew of one of the best shows on television. WE MISS YOU! And THANK YOU JOSS and DH COMICS for Buffy: Season 8!

Thanks to the authors of Fanfiction, wherever you may post. It's probable that I've read at least one of your stories somewhere. I apologize for recycling concepts inadvertently from the plentitude of stories I've read. Also, _another_ thank you to **Twiztv(dot)com** for their script assistance for the finale of chapter 6.

**SPECIAL NOTE: **Dru has not been to L.A. yet, instead she stops by Sunnydale on her way and ergo she hasn't gotten involved with Darla's revampification nor gotten burned yet.

This takes place around mid-January.

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**Pathways**

Ch 1 – Drusilla

**The raven haired woman was a weird one, alright. The Night Porter who'd taken over from Julio at the Mexico/United States border had to agree. He'd been told by the Mexican national that the woman sang to herself since she boarded south of Mexico City and sometimes murmured things to the doll she carried. He had been creeped out by her all night and Stan could see why; he was getting jumpy around her, too. The way her large eyes followed the passengers wistfully as they left and…hungrily?... as they boarded. And the way she'd lick her lips as he'd pass by. Once, of course, he might have taken it as a sexual come on and been flattered. He was over sixty now, though and looked every blessed year of it. If she was hitting on him, it was all kinds of wrong…she couldn't be any older than her late twenties and was probably a bit younger than that. As he helped stow luggage or gathered ticket stubs from the new arrivals, he'd taken to avoiding looking at her seat as he passed and he'd noted that no one else seemed to be in a hurry to sit near her either. The rows in front, behind and across from her remained empty the entire way. It seemed he wasn't the only one to be disconcerted by the aura the woman was giving off.**

**Dru sat staring out into the night as the Amtrak rumbled through small hamlets surrounded by the vast darkness of the desert. The people living in those places probably thought they were alone with the stars and the breeze, but of course they were wrong. She could see the furtive darts and dashes in the blackness…rabbits and snakes, coyotes and the occasional disturbed bird or lizard. Her eyes caught them all as they flashed by; and of course there were the elemental spirits: the sand and the wind and the scrub. They all whispered to Dru or to each other and occasionally, when she heard something interesting, she'd pass it along to her dolly and they'd share a smile.**

**She was sort of nervous, which was a strange sensation. Not bad strange; it was sort of tingly. The thought of going to Los Angeles worried her just slightly. It was the home of the mean Angel. She sighed as she thought about her poor, lost daddy. Anytime Liam was back, her Angelus was forced to go away; buried deep inside and allowing the no-fun Angel to roam free. But she didn't hate him for it, only pitied him that he wasn't able to follow his true nature. Maybe she could find a way to make Liam go away again. It was something she should look into and she asked Miss Edith to remind her later.**

**The dolly gave her a look, but Dru ignored it. Miss Edith was a nasty, selfish, little girl who told tales about everyone she cared about and that was why she so often had to be gagged and punished. According to little Edie, Angel was going to make the world better for people and less fun for all of them one day, but she refused to believe it. Her daddy was far too strong to be denied forever. **

**Dru whispered wistfully to the doll that she missed their happy home together. Darla had always been so kind to her, except for those times when Dru and daddy played together. But she'd always forgive her because mummy was sweet like that. Not like her human mother from so long ago, who'd always yell at Dru for seeing things. Darla had never yelled at her to stop looking; she'd always welcomed eagerly when a vision would interrupt whatever they were all doing. According to the summons from the bad lawyers, Darla was back from the ashy grave that the bad Angel had sent her to. They wanted her to come and make Darla whole again; to turn her back into a vampire. She was looking forward to it; it would be so much fun to hang out with Darla again. Shopping and giggling and maybe Darla could do what Dru hadn't been able to and make Daddy come back again, too!**

**And when Darla and Dru and Angelus were back together, the bad lawyers would get a rude awakening. Oh, yes…they would see that the vampires weren't to be manipulated and moved like pawns on a chessboard, for that's what they wanted, of course. They couldn't fool Drusilla, even if she allowed them to think that they could. She giggled in Miss Edith's ears, but the dolly was being cross and only 'harrumphed' at her. The plastic baby girl was angered that they were coming back to America. Nothing had ever gone right while they were there…Spike had been lost here. Well, Dru determined, so was Darla but she was back now. And Daddy had been back for awhile. Dru would bring Spike back, too. He'd forgive her for leaving him; he'd understand once she'd gotten that awful Slayer stink off of him that she'd had no choice at the time. **

**Miss Edith wouldn't shut up, even through the gag that Dru had now slipped over her mouth. She was telling her all sorts of lies about how Daddy was going to hurt her. Well, she wouldn't listen to those tales about fire because Daddy wouldn't do that! He'd use razor blades and make Dru scream before applying his lips to her flowing blood and enflame the sired passions within her. And then they would have play time, but he wouldn't use fire. Fire was very dangerous; like the sun, it could be awfully hurtful. She'd learned that in Prague once upon a time. And it took forever for those biting, burning wounds to heal. Her Angelus wouldn't do that to her.**

**Dru stood and placed the dolly up in the luggage rack above the passenger seats. She stuffed it in there extra hard, making sure that Miss Edith yelled out in pain. That would teach her not to say naughty things and if she thought that Dru was going to give her honeyed treats later, well, she was mistaken.**

**As the train's whistle blared out into the night, Dru collapsed in her seat. The noise was like a saw running through her brain, and even when it stopped she could hear its echo bouncing around in her skull. It made her quite cross and she glanced around the car she sat in and counted the number of meals with her. There was only five, not including the old man who kept passing back and forth by her and making 'sour lemon' faces at her. It was a disappointing number, but it'd be enough.**

**As she returned her attention to the window, Miss Edith called down to her through her gag that they were near Sunnydale. In fact, according to her, or maybe the porter? She couldn't remember now, but it was the next stop.**

**Her Spike was still in Sunnydale and she concentrated on hearing him. A flash of insight left her stunned with a hand to her head and groaning. Her poor baby had been leashed. He hadn't been able to leave Buffy behind, even when they'd left the town for Brazil. Now he was tethered by a phony elemental that sent its lightning through his brains when he tried to play. **

**Drusilla wept for her poor William. Always so soft, he was still controlled by his emotions and now they'd brought him so low. If only he'd been able to get the Slayer out of his aura, she'd have stayed by him and he'd be his usual deadly self. It made her unbeating heart break and her tears flowed for him as Sunnydale's train depot rushed closer and closer through the night.**

**When the old sour faced man touched her shoulder and asked if she was alright, she knew she couldn't leave her vicious wolf collared like that. With a quick yank on the old man's arm, she had him in her lap and snapped his neck with a wet sound. She was going to have to stop in Sunnydale; there was no other choice. William the Bloody needed his mum.**

**Standing, she looked over at the other passengers, only two of which were still awake with her. Both were rushing forward to check on the prone figure of the man that now lay half on her seat, half on the dirty floor. With a smile she morphed into her fangs and set to gorging on those that rode with her.**

**She'd need her strength to break Buffy's hold over her Spike. She'd take him with her to L.A. and he'd help her bring the rest of her family back together. She giggled as a woman in her powerful grip screamed before she sank her fangs into the tender throat. It would be just like old times and Dru was lighter of heart than she had been since the Chaos Demon had cheated on her and been torn apart for it. Even Miss Edith had stopped throwing out her painful lies and laughed along with Dru over the terror that now permeated the passenger car.**

**When the train slowed in Sunnydale, she waited patiently to see if Buffy might not be there. The girl patrolled a lot and had always seemed to appear wherever her and Spike had tried to have a good time; always being a wet blanket.**

**When a few moments later a baggage handler came up the steps to see if anyone needed assistance, she was already full to bursting. She allowed him to see what she'd done so that she could enjoy the scent of his fear and then slowly strangled the man as he beat ineffectually at her face and breasts. The giggling never stopped and as she strolled down the short stairs she turned and blew a kiss at the train. The baggage handler was left lying out to be found, so that the metal snake would not rumble away to Los Angeles without her. **

"**You wait here, Miss Edith," she called out in a sing song voice. "When I come back, Spike will be with me and we will all have tea and crumpets!"**

**The dolly made some sour reply, but Dru was already moving off and chose to ignore her. She didn't want to have to go back and waste time punishing her again.**

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End Chapter 1


	2. Reacquainting

**Pathways**

Ch 2 – Reacquainting

**Drusilla wandered the quiet town of Earth's currently active Hellmouth. She listened to the insects because it was far, far, too late in the morning for people to be stirring. She missed Rio de Janeiro just a little bit right then. That city was always humming with life that she could reach out and crush. She sighed at the breeze that passed through town; even it wasn't gossipy right now.**

**She realized as she wandered that she didn't know where her boy would be living right now. They'd all stayed together at one time in a dark and gothic factory and had such fun. But that place was mostly burned by that Watcher and being there would bring back bad memories. She thought about the mansion, but hoped that Spike wouldn't be there.**

**That had been where he'd betrayed her and helped Buffy stop Angel's plan to bring the world into Hell. It would have been so much fun, but silly Spike was too addicted to watching his football and dog racing to allow it. And when she'd tried to help her Angel keep the Slayer at bay, Spike had hit her and not in the sex games way, and then he'd knocked her unconscious. She'd hated him for a long while after that. Not enough to leave him, of course. It wasn't his fault he was still only a child. No, it had been Buffy's spirit hanging around in his head that had driven her away from him. She hoped that she'd be gone by now. If she were really lucky, Buffy would be a dead thing in the ground.**

**Dru let herself be led by memories toward the high school. That had been where Spike had been going to kill the Slayer for her shortly after their arrival. If only he'd waited for the night of St. Vigeous…maybe things would have gone better. But she didn't blame him for his impetuousness; in fact, it was one of the things she so loved about him. It was Angel she was mad at about that night. He'd been a very big party-pooper.**

**When she reached the collapsed wreckage that still hadn't been cleaned away, she jumped around in place and clapped her hands. She giggled as she imagined the Slayer and that little red headed girl being crushed under its cinderblocks. She wondered if the boy managed to get out, or if the flames had scorched his pretty face like it had blackened the walls. But no, the dust blowing in the breeze whispered to her a different story; Buffy had done this during a battle. She'd won…and lived, again. It was so disappointing that Dru almost started to cry. She remembered though that she'd soon see her Spike, so she pressed on.**

**The next stop was Buffy's street. Naturally, Drusilla didn't dare wander down that block. The Slayer could sense things just like she could. And though Dru had managed to kill one Slayer, Buffy was a different beast altogether. She didn't wish to draw the Slayer's attention. She felt a small pang that Buffy was still alive…somebody should have done something about that by now. Of course, the Master had tried, too, and almost succeeded. Dru saw this as well from afar, she'd felt his elation on being free but even before she'd been able to come here and celebrate his victory, she'd felt him disintegrate. Just like Darla, he'd gone away. Poor gran-papa, he didn't get to come back. She sighed and then began her tour of the cemeteries in town. She'd know which one Spike hid in when she found it; she'd feel him.**

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**Spike sized up the Slayer as she moved with a catlike gracefulness. In her hand, she carried a makeshift club, while he depended only on his fangs and fists. Buffy made a faint in his direction, but didn't follow through and caused a disparaging laugh from him.**

"**What's the matter, Slayer, afraid?"**

"**Hah! I could take you with one arm behind my back," she taunted.**

**Spike gave that a thought, but shook his head no. The real Buffy, or any of the demons he now fought for her wouldn't play such a game.**

**Buffybot rushed him, moving with a speed that caught him off guard despite himself. She quickly backhanded him twice before bringing the club around toward his head. This he was able to block with a forearm, but pain shot up his arm. Reacting quickly, he leaped up and a heavy boot went crashing into the robot's face, causing her to spin away from him. Before he could capitalize, she was standing in a defensive posture.**

"**That was a good move, Spike. I'll add that to my database."**

"**Yeah, well, it's gotten me out of a scrape or two. I'm not sure the other Buffy would have been so easy to knock away, though."**

"**Does that matter," Buffybot asked, mystified. "I thought that you and my twin were at peace now?"**

"**I wouldn't go that far, but yeah, we're not so hateful toward one another anymore. But she's still the best fighter I know, next to me. If I can beat her, I can beat anyone. So, come on ducks…give me your best," he smirked. Buffy would have gotten a sour look and then beat his ass for him. Buffybot disappointed by giving him her sincere love-sick smile. **

"**It would help if I could watch her fight. And possibly, train with Mr. Guyiles."**

"**I don't fancy the Watcher knowing I had you built. I'm also pretty darn sure Buffy would not be very happy to see you either."**

"**I don't understand that. I would think she'd be pleased to have a fellow Slayer assist her. According to my programming, Faith is the only other Chosen available, but she is in maximum security in Los Angeles. Is this correct?"**

"**Far as I know. If Faith busted out, we'd know it. Angel would have already called and Buffy would be throwing a fit. Now, let's have less talk and more fisticuffs!"**

**Spike launched himself into the air and tackled the 'bot to the ground. With a deft movement, he disarmed her of her club and was just getting annoyed that she wasn't fighting as hard as Buffy when he realized she wasn't trying on purpose. Instead he felt her grab two generous handfuls of his ass.**

"**Oh, Spike! You've dominated me!"**

**She continued to grin up at him, causing him to loose a frustrated sigh. Everything always came back to her 'primary programming'. She didn't seem able to grasp the fact that having sex with her wasn't what was on his mind these days.**

**Spike pulled himself out of her grasping hands and stood with a small growl. Once again, he wished he knew where her off switch was at. The most he'd been able to do so far is tell her to 'regenerate'. That only lasted a few hours though and last time he'd done it, she'd woken up while he was sleeping and went out on another patrol. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that nerdy bloke that built her did these little things on purpose. He'd also found out that he wasn't able to command her to not patrol. For some reason, her identity as a Slayer overrode her desire to please him as soon as he wasn't standing right next to the bucket of bolts. If he found that guy again he'd...**

**_What? Growl at him,_ he thought dismissively. Of course, since the dude didn't appear to know about the chip yet, maybe he could scare the twerp into peeing himself. That would at least provide a little satisfaction.**

**The Buffybot had returned to her feet while he was thinking and she turned on her extra-mega wattage smile. The one that beamed and that he found so insipid.**

"**I like sparring with you, Spike. You make me a better Slayer," she nodded.**

**Before he was able to try to go through, again, that he'd like her to not grab him by certain body parts, the door flew open with a bang. He jumped involuntarily and morphed. Whoever had just scared the bejeezus out of him, was about to have a real bad night!**

**In through the door strode his passionate plum and Spike stood with his mouth agape. Without realizing it, he'd switched back to his William-face and whispered her name.**

**At his side, Buffybot went berserk before he could stop her.**

"**A vampire!"**

"**Buffy!" Dru immediately sprouted her own fangs and heavy brow.**

"**I'll protect you, Spike," Buffy told him, giving him a hard shove out of the way. **

**She probably had meant it as a protective gesture, but her mechanically enhanced strength took him completely by surprise. Spike went sailing into one of the sarcophagi, his back striking the cement hard enough to nearly snap his spine.**

"**Ah! That's gonna leave a mark," he said as he hit the floor, dazed.**

**In the meantime, sounds of a struggle erupted throughout the small cement bunker as Drusilla and the robot began a fight to the death. He could hear both of them making barely legible growling and grunting noises as the battle moved about him.**

**He struggled to stand and pins and needles played down his legs. His back was strained, but he'd be good as new in less than an hour. Right now, he needed to stop the conflict raging between his two girls before Dru ended up in a dustbin. The Buffybot was stronger than his wan sire and Dru was being driven back under the onslaught of the 'bot.**

"**Buffy, stop," he commanded above the din and the robot immediately complied. Though, she did keep her arms in a defensive position as she took a few steps back. He looked to Dru and saw blood running from her lower lip.**

**Before he could ask her what she was doing there, she grabbed the Buffybot by the face, taking the robot off guard. Even as he rushed to tell Dru that she didn't have who she thought she did, Dru was staring into the robot's eyes.**

"**Relax, Buffy. Be in my eyes; be in me, dearie," she attempted hypnotizing 'Buffy'.**

"**I'm sorry," the Buffybot replied with a smile, "I don't know what that means. Spike? Instructions, please? How should I proceed?"**

**Drusilla stood with a dumbfounded look on her face, before she took a step back. She turned to Spike with a mild smile on her own face, amusement shining in her eyes.**

"**Spike, you've created a dolly!"**

"**It's not what you think, baby. I…I'm using her as a practice robot. Y'know, beefing up on my fighting skills, I am. Using her to spar and, uh, strategize and such."**

"**Fighting skills?" Dru smirked with obvious disbelief. "My poor Spike…companionship with a plastic thing? And you thought the Chaos Demon was a poor choice."**

"**That guy was a wanker!"**

"**Well, never mind," Dru said as she peered over the Buffybot. "She's really well done, Spike. It's like a life size doll."**

"**Well, thank you! I don't believe that you are in my database, however," Buffybot grinned broadly at the compliment.**

"**Oh, I'm Spike's sire, Dearie. That sort of makes us family," she reached out and stroked the robot's hair.**

"**Dru? What are you doing here," Spike wanted to know. "And where is the slimy bloke you threw me over for, eh?"**

"**Oh, Spike, let's not speak of unpleasant things. I've come for you. Those bad people have put a genie in your head, haven't they? I can see it, Spike, making you think you're not an animal anymore. But it lies, sweetie…my Spike is still there and I'm here to help you back to yourself."**

"**You shouldn't have come here, Dru. It's not safe for you, you know that."**

"**Oh, shush. Buffy is in bed where bad Slayer's should be. Not very enterprising of her, now is it? Not patrolling…too bad nobody else is out tonight either. It's just so boring."**

"**Would you like to patrol with me," the Buffybot innocently asked Drusilla. She was struggling to make sense of things. Spike told her to stop fighting, even though this 'Dru' was clearly a vampire. And the way they were speaking seemed to indicate they were acquainted. Maybe she was just like her Spikey? Maybe she was a 'good' vampire, too?**

"**I have a better idea, sweets," Dru said as she leaned in and gave Buffybot a deep and passionate kiss. **

**The robot allowed this, but she didn't reciprocate. Her pleasure programming was for Spike's use only.**

"**She'll be just like the sister I've always wanted, Spike!" Dru beamed at him and hugged the robot close to her bosom. "We'll have ever so much fun playing together!"**

**Buffybot considered this and then smiled widely. She wasn't allowed to visit her other sisters. Now she had one that she could; it pleased her.**

"**Dru…I don't think that's a good idea," Spike started. But Drusilla grabbed him and kissed him just as passionately as she had her new gal-pal. Even more so actually and the nearness of his sire caused him to lose his train of thought. **

**Before he was barely aware of what he was doing, he found himself naked in the downstairs 'apartment' with an equally uncovered robot and female vampire.**

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End Chapter 2


	3. Sunnydale Days

**Pathways**

Ch 3 – Sunnydale Days

**Lt. Stein sat staring at his desk as the sun broke over the horizon. It was going to be another gorgeous day, though of course, most of it he would spend in bed. The price he paid for being in charge of the night shift's investigations. Right now a folder of one of those investigations sat on his desk, opened to a blurry photo caught with a private eye's camera who was working nearby. It was the folder for the still unsolved arson case. Under this sat another folder, this one belonging to another case in town from a few years back. In both cases gasoline was involved and both buildings had been abandoned at the time.**

**That's where the similarities ended. In the latest case it was a tenement building and involved a gas can of fuel. The old factory fire was caused by what appeared to have been Molotov cocktails. Still the lieutenant was fairly certain the two were related. **

**He stared at the blurry photo and sighed with indecision. He knew what his duty was, but Sunnydale wasn't like other towns. The figure in the photo, though unclear, was one he was so familiar with, he recognized her immediately. Ms. Elizabeth Anne Summers; trouble maker…or so he'd always thought. But Carole, his recent wife, had pointed out things to him lately.**

**He quickly shoved the 'Buffy Folder' into his briefcase and left the office. On the drive home he picked up a fresh cup of coffee and a cream éclair for the missus, the entire way thinking of one thing. Professional duty versus Benefit of the Doubt? The things that Carole had brought to his attention…they seemed insane, but how else did you explain the weird things he'd seen with his own eyes over the years since moving here? The lab had never been able to explain just how large parts of some type of reptile appeared in the rubble of the old High School. Also unanswered was how witness statements could have been so outlandish, and yet so detailed and corroborating. He didn't believe in the half-hearted 'mass hysteria' explanation that the Police Chief had thrown out. **

**As he pulled up in front of his home, he noted again the large crucifix hanging on the outer door. He'd questioned the bizarre custom that his wife had insisted on upon her moving in with him, but she'd only said it made her feel safer. When he suggested the neighbors would think they were weird, she'd said, 'the neighbors will be kicking themselves for not thinking about it themselves.' And sure enough, within the following few months, he'd noted that everyone on their block had taken to hanging the cross on their doors. It was then that Carole had started to tell him tales of her childhood in Sunnydale and what she'd come to notice the older she'd gotten. It had been slow, but over the last fourteen months, she'd gotten him to begin noticing and questioning the strange disappearances that no one seemed eager to solve, the odd noises that sounded like no animals he was familiar with, and the odd number of bodies that turned up completely drained of blood. In any other city they'd have had the Feds in with a Satanic Cultist task force looking into these things, but here, no one had even suggested it…including him!**

**After kissing his wife and turning over her morning 'I love you' package, he went immediately to his den. Getting out the folder again, he stared at the petite blond girl that always seemed to be at the center of violent goings-on. And yet, everyone he'd ever spoken with had insisted that she'd saved their lives. Those witness statements had always…without exception, turned out to be vague accounts of danger and Buffy Summers helping them. No matter what questions he would ask however, details never seemed to be forthcoming and months later, it was like the alleged near victims barely remembered what had happened to them. Again, it was entirely beyond any sort of sense and yet he'd never even questioned it. Not until Carole came into his life and opened his eyes to the weirdness.**

**It was then that his wife entered his office, following their comforting morning routine. She sat opposite him and set down his tea and buttered toast. In front of herself, she had the coffee and pastry he'd brought her. She spent a few minutes asking about his night, whether he'd stayed safe and mentioning her plans for her elementary students today. It was then, that he slipped the photo toward her.**

"**Have you ever seen this girl," he asked curiously. He had the distinct feeling she'd say 'yes'.**

"**I-I don't know, hon. This picture is so blurry," she frowned. She pulled the photo up to her face in order to peer closer at it. "She seems vaguely familiar, but I can't be sure. Why?"**

"**This was taken near that tenement arson I'm investigating. Her name is Buffy. You've heard me mention her before in weird cases."**

"**Right, right. The violent young woman who seems to be anywhere that 'Sunnydale Weirdness' has occurred?"**

"**Exactly. I find myself wrestling with something, baby. With this photo, I've enough to drag her in for questioning, but…."**

"**You've never been able to make anything stick before. And there's a good reason for that, I'm sure."**

"**I'm a police officer! I have a duty."**

**Carole Stein sighed at her husband. One of the frustrating things for him is that so many of his cases went unsolved…many of which involved this exact young woman. "Rick, you can't drag her into this mess."**

"**How can I not," he asked her seriously. He knew how she felt about the girl and he'd started to think that whatever was happening in this town, it was because of the Summers woman that it wasn't a whole lot worse, but his duty was clear.**

"**I can only tell you what you've already heard me say in the past. If she was behind that arson, it was because it needed to be done. People are more likely than not alive because she did it. You know I can't explain why I feel the way I do, it's just intuition. But Rick, I know this…deep in my heart, I know that she's here to help us."**

**He looked over at his wife with a deep sigh. He'd always been the model officer; always played by the rules and followed the law to a 'T'. He'd never used a little too much force, or allowed a woman's cleavage to distract him from doing what was right, what the law expected him to do as its representative.**

**Lt. Stein sat up from his desk and walked over to a small box sitting in the corner of the room after retrieving the photo from his wife. Turning the small box on, he listened for a moment to the whine of its gears as he stared again at the incriminating photo in his hands. And then he did something he'd never done before and never would have thought himself capable of: he destroyed evidence. Slipping the photo into the shredder, he watched it disappear. He'd have to talk to the private detective who'd given him the picture, but the man was also a life long resident of Sunnydale, just like Carole. He had a feeling the guy would be cooperative. No one would ever tie the Summers girl to the fire and it would just be another crime, like the arson at the factory, to be unsolved.**

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**Buffy came into the kitchen feeling restless and exhausted. Her mother was due to be up at any moment, so she started the coffee and retrieved a cereal bowl and the box for Dawnie. Flipping on the radio, she adjusted the volume so that it was a comforting background noise and then stood and watched the black brew drip its way into the coffee pot.**

**Ever since January 1st had come and gone, she'd been on edge. Glory had told her that she was going to play hard ball once the holidays were over with and Buffy expected her to crash into the house at any minute. Every squeak or pop had her snapping awake and jumping from her bed in the middle of the night. Whenever she heard Dawn on her way to the bathroom at four-thirty, like clockwork, she had to grab the mattress not to rush out into the hall and see if it was Glory.**

**The Knights had been easier to deal with. Quinton had pulled some strings and a few agents had already taken five of the men into custody. Unfortunately, the yacht that the men were using was anchored in international waters and beyond the government's jurisdiction and just yesterday, she'd see two of the guys going tomb to tomb with a guy in robes. No doubt, he'd be one of their mystics, trying to locate the Key.**

**The distractions were causing her school work to suffer and she'd again broached the subject of quitting for now. And again, Joyce had put her foot down. Buffy was to have a life outside of killing things and her mother wasn't going to stand for her just quitting when things got stressful. **

**Buffy went along with it because Joyce didn't need anymore stress. She already had dark circles under her eyes again and had complained about a headache or two. Not tumor headaches, just the regular kind, but they were wearing on her nerves. She admitted to Buffy that she was always looking over her shoulder at the gallery, afraid that Glory would visit and start threatening her and Sheila. **

**_It was like watching a hurricane roll in and figuring out it was too late to evacuate,_ Joyce had said and Buffy had agreed. She hadn't bothered pointing out that it wasn't too late for her mother to leave town since she already knew the answer to that.**

**They were also all worried about the people that were in the Summers orbit. Glory could decide to go after any, all or none of them, too. For Joyce, it was worry for Sheila and Brian that occupied her most; she was used to Buffy taking care of herself and the gang. Dawn's safety preyed on her thoughts when she was at school and she only felt better when she was home in her sight. For that reason, there'd been a lot less going out at night. Janice had been spending a lot more time in the Summers home, instead. As was Brian; the dates out for dinner had come to an end for the most part, though he didn't seem to complain any.**

**Giles was also deeply worried. Not for himself, despite being Buffy's Watcher. He'd grown accustomed to being in danger because of his job. No, his concern was for Lavinia. Such concern, in fact, that he'd stopped seeing her. It caused concern among the Scooby gang, especially Willow and Xander that he was closing himself off from companionship, but they also understood. Giles had lost Jenny because Angel had wanted to hurt Buffy and him. He couldn't have another woman lost in the crossfire, especially one who had no idea of the dangers she might be facing.**

**Although she completely understood his reasoning, it broke Tara's heart to see him isolate himself. She was just relieved that all of her loved ones were already aware and involved in the danger. She couldn't imagine how horrible it must be to have family at risk and not be able to tell them about it. She didn't know how Buffy had managed for the first two years, or how Xander and Willow continued to keep things secret even as they went to pains to caution her family or his work mates.**

**Back in the kitchen of the Summers home, the Salsa music was interrupted by a local new bulletin. Buffy hushed Dawn, who was babbling about how stupid English homework was and turned up the radio. The Sunnydale Train Depot was the site of the report and there had been victims of an unknown assailant found on board. All three women sighed.**

"**I gotta go," Buffy told them as she kissed Joyce on the cheek.**

"**Buffy, I'd feel better if you didn't go alone, just till you're sure it wasn't Glory."**

**Dawn perked up her ears at this but stayed still and silent. She was still looking for a way to pick up on what Glory was looking for and if it had anything to do with the scary, crazy people around her.**

"**I'll call Xander on the way and have him meet me there. But I'll be okay, mom. This sounds more like it's going to be vampires than her."**

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End Chapter 3


	4. Caught

**Pathways**

Ch 4 – Caught

**Buffy paced several hundred yards away from the 'death train' waiting for the reporters and police to clear out. She blended easily enough with the crowd of gawkers, but she still felt too exposed. The police were still looking for her as far as she knew and changing her hair color wasn't actually making her feel like 'mistress of a thousand faces'.**

**Fortunately, she knew that the cops had gone through the train several times by now and that meant that soon they'd put up their pretty tape and go away. They'd sense that there was something wrong about this whole scene and before you knew it, they'd disappear with their evidence baggies. She'd seen this over and over with her time as the Slayer; part of the Hellmouth's influence, she would guess.**

**Already, people in the crowd around her were fading back into town. They'd go about their days gossiping about what little they had seen, check if any of the passengers were locals, and within the week it wouldn't even be news anymore. It made her just a little angry in a way; it might have made her job easier, but it just seemed so…disrespectful of the universe toward these tragedies. Real people had had their lives snuffed out just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and sooner than they should, the residents of Sunnydale would simply add it to their list of weird occurrences and allow it to slip out of their conscious minds.**

**As she made another circuit in her pacing, she nearly ran into Xander Harris, newly arrived. She'd called him at the new mall site and as soon as he could, he broke away to join her. Another 'benefit' of tragedy on the portal to Hell; Xander could miss an awful lot of work and she could skip an awful lot of classes and no one seemed to hold them accountable. **

"**So…you think another half hour till we can get aboard," Xander speculated.**

"**Less. They've already stopped carrying body bags out and the crowd has begun drifting away."**

"**How many?"**

"**Gawkers? Maybe three dozen when I first got here," Buffy said, before turning her eyes back to the police.**

"**No, Buffy," he replied impatiently, "bodies. How many victims this time around?"**

"**Oh, uh, I've counted six. I mean, not that that's not horrible, but it could have been worse. It looks like whatever happened; it was contained in one passenger car."**

"**Is it sick that I'm hoping for a loony-toon with a grudge and a gun," he sighed.**

"**Xander? Are you okay? Maybe I should handle this one, you can just wait back here, if you want," she frowned at his agitation.**

"**No, I'm okay. Really, I am. It's just…less than a month ago I was on this train, or one just like it. 'There but for the Grace of God'… I could be in there, Buffy."**

**She reached out and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. "If you had been, you'd have survived, Xan. And probably saved the rest with you, too. I know you well enough to know that you were packing a stake the entire journey from Utah."**

"**Try three," he smiled at her. "So, you're sure it's vampires, then?"**

"**Not positive, but I saw this train last night. One of those wacky dreams; I don't remember much, just the train and a lady with two puncture marks in her neck. Tell me I'm jumping to conclusions, but…."**

"**We've both been around the block too many times," he said. "If it is vamps though, they haven't been trying to keep a low profile. You think it's an invitation, or a postcard to let the Slayer know they're here?"**

"**It's hard to tell," she grimaced. "If they thought making a public declaration was a smart move, they really can't be locals, though."**

**Both of them stood quietly and watched the dwindling activity. Already the crowd had melted away as they'd been speaking. The reporter on scene, sensing she wasn't going to get any more dramatic shots of herself in front of the 'devastated onlookers' wrapped things up next. Ten minutes later and the last cop car had driven off. Tape was strewn in front of the car, of course, but as Buffy had known, no officer had been left behind to keep the scene intact. And, as per usual around here, no one but her had even considered wandering aboard.**

**Xander stayed right behind Buffy until they'd made their way inside. His eyes avoided the taped outline of the bodies that had been removed. There was little blood, giving a bit more credence to the idea that vampires were responsible. Not that it was needed, if Buffy's dream pointed to vamps, then it was vamps. He waited near the entrance of the passenger car and Buffy walked up the aisle, checking over and under each seat.**

**_Xander, close your eyes for a minute and breathe steadily, but deeply,_ Hyena spoke to him.**

_**What? What for?**_

_**I'm catching a scent. You'd notice it too, if you weren't so…human. Your eyes are distracting you.**_

**He wasn't sure he really wanted to notice whatever it was that his animal spirit was detecting, but he complied. Hoping that Buffy wasn't going to spin around and ask him any questions the entire time. It didn't take long, almost immediately he became aware of a perfume just barely present. It was vaguely familiar to him. Hyena asked him to walk forward a few steps, which he did and she revealed that the scent was originating in the luggage rack.**

**Buffy had reached the end of the car and other than a few spots of blood, she hadn't found anything useful. It could have been vampires…but that didn't tell her who or where they'd be right now. In fact, except for her dream, this could have been anything really.**

**She turned to see Xander groping above the seats near the front of the car. "Xander? Did you find something?"**

"**Uh, yeah…I caught the sight of a shape. Just taking a look to see what it was," he said to her as he wrapped his hand around something hard and cool and pulled it down.**

**In his hands lay a baby doll in a frilly dress. She had long blond curls and wide blue eyes. He felt a lump form in his throat.**

"**Was one of the victims a little kid?"**

"**That's not a kids! Xander, look at the mouth," Buffy said urgently.**

**He hadn't noticed, but there was a bandana or something tied around the doll's mouth. It was almost as if she'd been gagged.**

"**That's weird, huh?" He had clearly not gotten the clue, but Buffy's own mind was already racing ahead.**

"**We've seen this before. Miss Edith!"**

"**Oh, shit. Dru is back in town?"**

"**I'd bet even money, that's hers," Buffy sighed. She didn't have enough worries with Glory?**

"**She'll be on her way to Spike's," Xander realized. He could feel both of his counterparts wanting to rush over there right now, but he didn't know quite why. Obviously, Dru had to be stopped, but Spike himself wouldn't be in any danger. She was his sire, she probably only wanted to try to recapture old times and he'd be damned if he was going to play the role of the jealous wanna-be lover.**

"**Okay," Buffy interrupted his silent, internal argument. "You should get back to work, Xander. I'll drop by Spike's and let him know she's in town. Maybe he can help me track her down, tonight."**

"**Don't you think she'll already be there? Why else would she be back in town, if not to make up with Spike?"**

"**Well…that'll just make it easier for me. I don't think Spike will turn on us, do you?"**

"**I don't want to believe he would, Buffy, but we're talking about his sire here. I mean, don't they have some strong powers over their sired? Maybe you shouldn't go there alone. You two already have that whole Slayer-Vampire dynamic you have to work through every time you're in the same room together."**

"**I'll be fine. Spike won't betray us. He won't betray you or Dawnie, especially. If anything, he'll send Dru packing to the tunnels and I'll kick his ass a little for warning her to get away. Really, we'll all be okay. And once mommy dearest figures out that Spike is one of us, she'll leave…or I'll dust her."**

"**Okay, if you're sure," Xan carded his fingers through his hair. "But, Buffy…she killed a Slayer, just be careful okay? Giles said that she was able to get inside his mind and make him see illusions or something. And we know she has psychic powers, she may already know you're coming," his words came out in a rush showing his acute worry.**

"**I'm the Slayer. I can handle, Dru. And she wasn't by herself when Kendra…." Buffy couldn't bring herself to say the words. Anytime she thought of the Caribbean Slayer, her heart lurched. She hadn't gotten the chance to really come into her own and that nutty bitch Dru was the reason. She was looking forward to removing this particular vampire from the world.**

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**Spike paced the bedroom in agitation as Dru played dress-up with the Buffybot. He'd swore to himself he wouldn't disrespect Buffy again by having sex with her electronic surrogate, but Dru often got her way with him. He was also agitated by how strongly he still felt for his sire. She was here to bring him back into the fold, somehow, and a very large part of him wanted it desperately. Even knowing he'd lose what he'd gained, he wanted it. Life was easier when you had no sympathies, no friendships, just you and your sire out draining the world of its lifeblood. It was an intoxicating existence and try as he might to think of Xander, Joyce and the 'Bit, he was still drawn to the simpler life of the predator.**

"**Your brain is very loud, Spike. What is my boy worried over?"**

"**Are you worried, Spike? I cannot allow my lover to be worried," Buffybot spoke up. "Please tell me how I can alleviate this worry; should we have sex again?"**

"**Aren't you just a peach," Drusilla smiled widely at the Buffybot. She patted her new dolly's head and giggled. Miss Edith was going to be ever so cross when she brought their new family member home. She could barely wait to hear the doll screech and throw her little tantrum. Especially since 'Buffy' was so much more fun to play with.**

"**This can't end good, Dru. The Slayer has probably already been to the train. You shouldn't be here; this will be one of the first places she looks."**

"**Silly boy. Buffy doesn't worry me."**

"**I hope not," Buffybot interjected, "I don't want my new friend to worry because of me."**

**Drusilla laughed lightly, "Not you, Dearie. The other Buffy. Let's you and I go upstairs and I'll brush out your hair, sweets. William is being a worry wart and it's bothersome."**

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**Buffy pushed the mausoleum door open and called out into the gloom that she was coming in and she needed to see Spike. She knew he was probably sleeping now and it'd take a few minutes for him to respond.**

**Buffybot, on hearing her twin's voice, immediately ducked out of sight behind one of the sarcophagi in the upstairs space. Spike had made it very clear to her that she was to avoid any interaction with the other Buffy. **

**Drusilla immediately vamped out as Buffy began walking through the door. She leapt the short space and grabbed the Slayer by her, now dark, locks and threw her across the room with a growl. This turned into a hiss of pain as the hurtful sunlight bit her in the hand, but she quickly shoved the door closed on its stretching, grasping tendrils.**

**As Buffy flew across the room, she already knew that she'd found Dru. At the same time realization of her position was setting in and she was instinctively raising her arms to protect her head from the coming blow with the wall. It came bare seconds later, causing her to swear as pain traveled up her arms. _Oh, that's gonna cause a bruise!_**

**Getting to her feet, she lashed out with a backhanded fist, following her instincts and smiled as she heard Drusilla grunt. The sound of the vampire's body being batted away soon followed and she came into contact with her own wall. _How do you like it_, Buffy mused.**

**Spinning on her heel, she met Dru's follow up charge and the two women grappled with each other's arms, trying to gain the advantage. Spike was standing now in the crypt and yelling at them both to stop, but neither paid him any heed.**

**The Slayer gave a right hook to Dru and the demoness hit the stone floor with a whimper. She'd just taken a stake from her jacket, when she noted movement directly behind her. Someone who didn't sound like Spike was yelling at her not to hurt her friend. But before Buffy could complete her spin and meet this new threat (she had the impression it might be Harmony, but there was not time to think) she felt a double fisted blow to the back of her head. She was barely aware of falling toward a sarcophagus when her head hit it square on and the world went black.**

**Spike didn't know exactly what he was going to do, but he couldn't bear seeing either his Sire or his…whatever she was…being hurt. Dashing down to the bedroom, he yanked out a dresser drawer and pulled out the stun-gun he'd acquired for Xander. He was still working on Xan's gift, but so far he had the gun and figured he'd work out with the young man on his fighting techniques. He was confident if he could teach Xander how to defeat him, he'd be able to hold his own against anyone, even if they were stronger than the human. Now, he grabbed the black box and gave the trigger a squeeze, relieved to see the small electrical arcs firing between its prongs.**

**Returning upstairs, he found the Buffybot leaning against a wall with a horrified look on her plastic features. Dru was smiling through her fangs over the Slayer's prone body.**

"**Poor dear, she colored her hair and now looks weak. Well, Dru will soon relieve her of any more worries, just like she did that black girl."**

"**Don't do it, Dru! 'Bot, grab her and stop her," he shouted.**

**As the Buffybot obeyed the command and grabbed Drusilla and yanked her away from the downed Buffy, Dru glared at Spike with anger.**

"**All this time and you still haven't let her go! She's still all around you with that sow of a mother and little sister! Why, Spike, why can't you return to me!?" She continued to struggle against the robot's grip and pleading with her 'sister' to release her as her eyes blazed yellow at Spike.**

"**I'm sorry, Dru. I just…I need time to think!" Spike reached out and touched his sire with the stun-gun depressing its trigger and sending her into convulsions. The Buffybot was also shocked and sent falling to the floor next to Dru.**

"**I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry," Spike said as he stroked Drusilla's hair. He picked up her limp form and carried her downstairs.**

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End Chapter 4


	5. Harm's Liberation

**Pathways**

Ch 5 – Harm's Liberation

**Buffy came to with a severe headache and pins and needles running up and down her arms. She blinked and groaned before noting that Drusilla's voice was filling what sounded like a cavern. Remembering her battle with the vampire, she snapped her head up and immediately regretted it as her headache intensified.**

**Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to concentrate on what was happening around her, but came up short when her arms refused to move. Glancing up, she found her wrists bound to metal cuffs and these attached to short chains attaching her to a wall. She panicked briefly and tried to catch sight of Dru, but found the vampire in a similar state. **

"**Spike, I don't think this is the time for play. Let me go and we'll have fun with the Slayer."**

"**Forget it, Dru. I told you; you shouldn't have come here."**

"**My boy needed me…."**

**Buffy gave a rattle at the chains, but they seemed solid to her. It was going to take some effort to break free. Unfortunately, the two fanged ones heard her struggles and Spike immediately marched toward her. She glared hard at him and hoped he wouldn't smell her nervousness. For the moment, finding herself trussed up, she'd forgotten with his chip he couldn't really do anything to her, anyway.**

"**I'm sorry, Buffy. I needed to stop things before they got too far," he said as he glanced at his sire. Buffy noted Drusilla looked about as pissed as she felt.**

"**I can't believe I trusted you," she spit at him. "I told Xander you wouldn't betray us!"**

"**I'm not gonna hurt you. I couldn't now, even if the chip wasn't a problem. I just needed to keep you two from each other's throats until I could think."**

"**What's there to think about? She's an evil vampire, I'm a Vampire Slayer…seems simple enough to me."**

"**That does make sense, Spike," Drusilla called out across the short distance.**

"**Oh, hush up!" Spike began to pace between the two of them. "She's my sire, Buffy! Did you really think I'd just stand around and watch you kill her? And, you Dru! You don't even wonder what I've been up to since you gave me the old heave ho; you just show up in my town and start attacking everyone! You bloody women have me fit to be committed to the bloody booby-hatch."**

"**I know one thing, Harmony's dust when I get out of these, that cowardly bitch."**

"**Harmony," Drusilla started to question.**

**Spike cut her off, "Uh, yeah, she's a real chicken, that one."**

**Obviously Buffy hadn't caught sight of Buffybot, so at least that was a plus.**

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**Upstairs, Buffybot listened in as her motor control returned. Spike was involved with heated discussions between her two sisters and she knew better than to interrupt. He'd be very angry if she went down to speak with Buffy, though she still didn't fully understand the reasons. If anyone could bring peace between two feuding siblings, it was a third to mediate.**

**However, her directives were explicit. 'Avoid Buffy Summers' had top priority, so the robot slipped out into the bright noon sunshine. She had to leave for a while until she could be reasonably sure that the other Buffy was no longer there. Because it was daylight, she also couldn't patrol, yet. Vampires avoided sunlight.**

**The Buffybot wandered toward town.**

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"**Spike," Drusilla asked, "who is this Harmony? What does she have to do with us?"**

"**I'm his girlfriend for one thing!" Harmony walked out of one of the two tunnels which connected Spike's underground living space from the town around him. "Well, ex…but only temporarily!"**

**Spike's hand came up and rubbed his face as if he was suffering the headache that Buffy had. It'd be funny, if she wasn't so pissed off that he'd chained her to a wall.**

"**Harmony, what are you doing here? I thought you left town," Spike sighed.**

"**Don't be silly blondie-bear! I had to give you the chance to beg for my forgiveness. Instead I come home to find what? You involved in some kinky bondage fun with Buffy the Boring and some chick who doesn't know how to dress!?"**

"**Kinky," Buffy exploded.**

"**Can't dress," Drusilla growled. **

"**Relax, you ditz. It's not what you think. Harmony, meet Drusilla…Dru…Harms," Spike said.**

"**Ohhhh…I see what's going on here. You thought you'd just come sweeping into town and reclaim my blondie-bunny, didn't you – you hussy! Well, I've got news for you; my Willy-bean doesn't need you! He is so over you, you old bat!"**

"**Blondie-bear? Bunny? Willy-bean? Oh, Spike, you've fallen even farther than I had feared," Dru smirked.**

**Buffy opened her mouth to add her two cents, but then closed her mouth with a snap when she realized that Drusilla had pretty much summed things up nicely.**

"**Shut up, Droodzilla!" Harmony had her hands on her hips and glared at Spike's former mistress. "How dare you show up in my town!?"**

"**Your town," both Buffy and Spike shouted unbelievingly at once.**

"**Well, our town, Spikey," she relented.**

"**Harmony, I'm a bit busy here and beside that, you and I are history. I thought I'd made that perfectly clear."**

"**That was just in the heat of a moment, Spike. You and I have a passionate relationship, that's all. Now, I was going to make you beg me to come back to you, but obviously this changes things. Now, all you have to do is kill Dru while I drain Buffy, okay?"**

**Buffy laughed harshly from her place on the wall, while simultaneously working at yanking her cuffs. "Harmony? You were pathetic when you were a Cordette. You were tragic when you tried to lead the Harmonettes. And since you've become undead, you're just a bad punchline. But in all three incarnations, you're a moron."**

"**Here, here, Buffy," Dru added.**

"**Would you two shut up," Spike glared at each woman in exasperation. "I'm dealing with this! Harmony, leave. Not just my cave, not just my mausoleum and not just my town. Leave the bloody state…hell, don't stop until you hit the middle of the Pacific! Just…go!"**

"**You bastard! After all I've done for you! I took you in when you were a sad sack chipped case! I supported you when you had that whole Gem of Amara plot! I have given you the best…months…of my unlife! And this is what I get? Well, no one scorns Harmony Kendall," she screamed as she slapped him across the face.**

**Buffy only smirked, but Drusilla began having a giggling fit. But Harmony wasn't finished. From somewhere…probably the small of her back, she pulled out a small, pencil thin stake and lunged at Spike.**

**The sliver of wood penetrated his chest, but his reflexes were superior to hers after his century of fighting, sometimes against Angelus, and he was able to deflect her before the lethal strike could penetrate his heart. Winding up his fist, he plowed it into her face, feeling the cartilage of her nose smash inward.**

**Harmony squealed in a combination of outrage and pain as she went flying toward Buffy.**

**Buffy watched Harmony's stumbled trajectory toward her. Reaching up, she grabbed the chains that held her cuffs to the wall and yanked her self up. Letting her feet come up off of the ground, she kicked out in a two-footed wide arc, hitting Harmony in the side of her head and knocking her to the side where she crashed into some knickknacks that Spike had lying around.**

**She felt a little bit of pity for Harms, as she often did because she was just so pathetic. Her demonization had done nothing to improve her lot in life, as far as Buffy could tell.**

"**Ow! God, everyone is always ganging up on me," Harmony whined as she held her nose. "It's so unfair! And, you're all just mean!"**

"**Look, Harm," Spike said unsympathetically, "this is your last chance to get the hell out of here and let me get back to what I was doin'."**

"**Spike! We can't just let her walk," Buffy tried to insist, but he ignored her for the moment.**

"**Fine! I'm going! But, you just think about this, when you're lying all alone!" Harmony turned around and stuck her ass out. With one hand she grabbed a handful of her butt-cheek. "You're never gonna get to see any of this again!" **

**She started to march out the way she came, but stopped herself short. "Well, unless, you know, you're behind me and then you see it. But, I'll just turn around! Like this!"**

**She turned her back and began marching backward into the tunnel to disappear. "And I'll just walk backward until you can't see my anymore! So there, you loser!"**

"**Oh, Spike…" Drusilla clucked her tongue. "And you thought I was scraping the bottom of the barrel with my Chaos Demon lover."**

"**Shut it, Dru. I gotta say some stuff to both of you and then we're solving this once and for all!"**

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End Chapter 5


	6. Coming to Grips

**Pathways**

Ch 6 – Coming to Grips

**Spike listened as Harmony's footfalls grew softer into the distance. He hoped for her sake that this time she really did disappear. Between the two Buffy's, not to mention the other Scoobies it was unlikely she could last if she stayed, not that he cared overmuch either way. **

**When he was sure she wouldn't be coming back for another attempt on his unlife, he looked at his chest. Her little 'friend' had left a wound, but it wasn't deep and would be healed in an hour or two. He turned his attention back to his waiting women, both of whom would probably cooperate at this point in kicking his ass for him.**

**He took a deep breath and flipped a mental coin. Then he walked over to Buffy.**

"**There are some things I been wantin' to say, Slayer. I want you to know first that I'm sorry I hurt you. Not the past stuff before the chip, 'cause there wasn't a lot I could do about that, but Riley. I…I took you to see him in the skank-house because I wanted him out of the way. I thought that I was in love with you, you see." **

**He swallowed over the lump in his throat and pushed the pain aside as Buffy first flinched and then gave him a look of icy contempt. **

"**I know that doesn't make up for anything. Especially that whole surgery debacle, but what I'm saying now is true. I…I even told your mum that I was in love with you. She didn't believe me, of course," he snorted. **

"**She thought I was just looking for a new way to dominate you; to own you like. I think she might have been right, but you need to know that I didn't realize it. I really did think my feelings were sincere. It's kinda funny, you'd think that 'Love's Bitch' would've been more in tune with what was going on inside. Anyway, I'm sorry for the pain I caused. Not that you didn't need to know, of course," he was quick to add. "Finn was headed for self-destruction…but, it wasn't worry over him that caused me to rat him out. I was an asshole. I know I'm a monster, I know when you look at me all you can see is the demon, but I'm trying."**

**Buffy frowned in thought, but Spike had already moved away from her before she could respond. She watched him approach his sire and she could have sworn that he was feeling trepidation at facing her. Though he spoke softly to her, Buffy could hear everything due to the acoustics of the chamber and her own enhanced hearing.**

"**My William…"**

"**Shh…Dru, please just listen. You took a shy, awkward young man, ignorant and alone and you showed me a whole world I hadn't even dreamt of. You gave me love and purpose and I will forever be grateful to you for taking that wretch in that alleyway so long ago. I need you to know that I did love you…I do love you. You're my Dark Goddess; my Juicy Ripe Plum. But, I'm not that demon anymore, baby. Maybe if you could find a way around this blasted chip, I could be again. But, I'm not sure that's what I want anymore.**

"**Dru, this thing the Initiative did was meant to be a leash, but I've turned it into an opportunity. And I owe Buffy for that. She could have dusted me at anytime, she should have the way I've found a way to back stab them time after time over the past year and a half. But none of them…the Scooby Gang, Joyce and the Bit…none of them did. I owe them for that mercy. I've got a life here now. And it's complicated and frustrating and I do miss the freedom of living life without a damnable conscience. I miss hunting and the sense of power, but I've gained something too."**

**Spike reached over Drusilla's head with a key and undid her manacles. She had a single tear sliding down her face as he leaned forward and kissed it. In turn, she placed the palm of her hand over his jaw and cupped his face.**

"**I'm figuring out how to cope, how to have a life again. And Joyce and Dawn, Xander, even the witches…they're a part of that. I will do whatever I have to in order to protect them, Dru. You need to leave…before I let the Slayer over there go."**

**Drusilla leaned up and kissed him on his face, near his ear. With a gasp, he felt her fingers briefly grip his arm and then she relaxed. She pulled away from him and he recognized the gleam in her eye; it was the faraway secretive look she always got when a vision had had its way with her.**

**She smiled distractedly, and a little sadly at him, "You're searching for a new path, Spike. The brunette can show it to you. Be well, my William. I hope we will see each other again."**

**As she wandered away down the opposite tunnel that Harmony had used, Spike heard her humming 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' to herself. He turned over in his mind what she might have meant and he re-crossed the small space of his bedroom cave.**

**Buffy was currently brunette, and she had showed him a new way. Maybe Drusilla had been trying to tell him that he hadn't been wrong when he pursued her. Of course, Dawn was also dark haired and the Fates knew, she'd had a profound effect on him already. Of course, this was Dru…for all he knew she was talking about herself in the third person. Or, even, she could have been thinking about her crazy doll fetish. He remembered that 'Cuddle Nancy' had dark hair and Dru would often carry on conversations with the inanimate baby doll when Miss Edith had 'been very naughty' and was being 'punished'.**

**He shook thoughts of his sire's cryptic statement out of his mind. Trying to puzzle out what she had meant could easily become a full time obsession again, if he allowed it.**

**Spike went to release Buffy, when one of her hands fell to her side. She was clenching her fist and shaking her hand trying to relieve the numbness.**

"**How long were you from gettin' free," he asked amused.**

"**Meh; probably another three or four minutes. But since you've got the key…."**

**As Spike undid the remaining shackle, he asked her not to pursue Drusilla. "She'll leave as soon as night falls."**

"**I can't let her walk, Spike. She killed a train car full of innocent people. And I owe her for Kendra…she shouldn't have come through here."**

"**Buffy…I can't let you hurt her. She's my sire."**

"**I know, Spike," Buffy nodded. And then she punched him. With a quick movement, she had his head in a vice like grip before he could respond and she rammed his skull into the cement wall, knocking him out.**

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**Buffybot wandered town, staring at the sunlight with wide curious eyes. It was such a dynamic force in the sky and she received power from it. As she wasn't affected by its glare or overwhelming brightness, she could ponder it's constantly shifting face. **

"**Excuse me, miss," her attention became diverted, "You shouldn't look at the sun like that. It's not good for your eyes," an old lady she didn't know informed her.**

"**Oh! I did not know this. Thank you, stranger!"**

**The old lady looked quizzically at the strange young girl's back, but then continued traveling to her destination. In the meantime, Buffybot began to look around her at the neighborhood she'd found herself in. Her GPS unit informed her that she was on Main Street and she looked over the shops on the block before her eyes widened in excitement.**

"**Oh! The Magic Box! That's where my friends hang out," she smiled beamingly as she crossed the street.**

"**Oh, hi Buffy," Anya smiled as the Slayer entered the store. "You don't mind if I keep working, do you? We've just received a new supply of squirrel's tails!"**

"**No. I do not mind. How is your money today?"**

"**It's very well! Thank you for asking. How come you're here? I thought you'd be at class or something?"**

"**Or something. But Spike is currently busy and I had to leave," Buffybot informed her.**

"**Spike? Is there some Slayer business we should be aware of?"**

"**No, no Slayer business. It was personal. But now he has other personal business. And, I cannot patrol yet because it is sunny right now."**

"**Yes. It has been slow lately, hasn't it? There's almost been no demons at all, and even the vampire population seems down lately. I wonder if Glory is chasing the other bad guys away," Anya mused as she brushed out one squirrel tail after another.**

"**I don't know."**

"**Well, as long as she's not hunting Dawn, I say let her kill any beastie she wants. It just gives us more free time, you know?"**

"**Yes," Buffybot nodded, still smiling, "that makes sense." She didn't know who Glory was specifically, but it wasn't surprising that her database wasn't completely updated with all of the villains around town. After all, her role was 'Vampire Slayer' and if Glory wasn't a vampire than she didn't need to know about her. But it made sense that her vampire-fighting friends would be happy if she was thinning out the other villains. On the other hand, Anya had mentioned Dawn and that was a subject that the robot could comment on.**

"**Dawn is my sister. I have to protect her."**

"**Well, I know," Anya agreed. "We'll all do what we can to guard her secret. It's just hard to believe that little Dawnie is actually a mystic Key. I mean, she looks so human! And she sure can be as bratty as any young teen. Those monks really did a good job."**

"**Dawn is not a real girl?"**

"**Of course, we'll keep treating her as just another person," Anya continued, not paying much attention to the conversation. Giles wanted to charge three-fifty per tail and Anya was sure that was too cheap. She was currently trying to recall anything comparable that she could compare prospective prices to.**

"**Dawn has to stay protected. I'll make sure that Glory doesn't harm her."**

"**Oh, of course! The Scooby Gang is on the case, don't worry. If I wasn't so busy with the merchandise and the money, I'd be researching right now on a way to stop her. Of course, most of the good books are with Tara and Willow anyway and Giles won't let anyone into the black magic tomes except him."**

"**Magic is illogical. I don't see how that can protect Dawn."**

"**Well, it is unpredictable," Anya agreed.**

"**But Willow knows more about that than I do. She and Tara are witches. And lesbians."**

"**Oh, I wouldn't worry. I'm sure they won't let their sex life get in the way of research. Excuse me, Buffy, but I really have to find an appropriate price for these before Giles ends up losing us profits."**

"**That's okay. I should return to Spike's."**

"**M-mkay, see ya later," Anya called out distractedly as she went to grab a ledger from Giles' office and 'Buffy' exited the store.**

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**Buffy stomped her way home, irritated with Spike and not happy that she could find no trace of Drusilla. There were so many damned branching tunnels shortly after you left Spike's underground lair that it was a crap shoot which one the flaky vampire would have chosen. She thought her Slayer senses would help her guess which one to take, but they had failed her. At least when the chips were down…or discussed, Spike had chosen them. She knew that Xander was going to be relieved to know that even his sire hadn't turned Spike against them. Buffy was actually still a little in shock, up until the last minute she really thought she'd have to fight Spike and Dru both. And that whole thing with Harmony…Buffy was half-way sure that she'd be too stupid to get out of town while the getting was good, so she expected that she'd still be ending her existence sometime soon.**

**As she ran up the steps to her mother's house, she checked her watch. It was quarter until two and Dawn would be getting out of school at three. With Glory still out there, she expected that her mom would ask her to run to the school and grab her, but she wanted to stop and change her dirt-stained clothes first.**

**She opened the door and was immediately assailed by the huge bouquet on the side table. Not just the scent, but the actual petals…it was huge and took up a large portion of the entryway.**

"**Hey, mom!"**

**Buffy spotted the card still in the vase and though it wasn't technically her business, she figured what the heck.**

"**Oooh," she exclaimed as she took a peak at the card. "Thank you for a lovely evening. See you soon? Brian."**

**_Oh, man. This guy is almost too romantic,_ Buffy thought with a smile. She was amused to find herself a little jealous. _Hmmm…and 'lovely' is underlined…now what does that mean?_**

"**Still a couple of guys gettin' it right," she muttered as she sniffed the flowers again, feeling a pang of loneliness for Riley.**

"**Hey! Flower-gettin' lady? Want me to pick up Dawn from school," she called out into the quiet house. It seemed a bit too quiet and Buffy suddenly got a cold chill down her spine.**

"**Mom?"**

**Coming around the corner and into the living room, she smiled briefly in relief to see her mother home. She was lying on the couch and staring at the ceiling.**

"**What are you doing," she asked her mother. She even glanced at the ceiling to see what her mother was staring at. It wasn't until her eyes drifted back down to Joyce's still body that she started to notice something wrong.**

"**Mom," she said quietly, dread settled into her stomach. Joyce didn't react to her daughter and Buffy noted in the back of her mind that she hadn't even blinked.**

"**Mom?"**

**No response…not a twitch, not a blink.**

"**Mommy," Buffy barely whispered.**

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End Chapter 6

**Please watch or re-watch BTVS: The Body before reading the next story in the Spanderverse series. There is no need to write a special version of it since it is the most powerful hour of television I've ever watched.**

**Spanderverse Series**:

_BTVS seasons 1-4, excluding Restless._

Spanderverse: To Dream - **removed**; it sucked

Spanderverse: After 314

Spanderverse: Spike

Spanderverse: Dracula

Spanderverse: Burial

BTVS: Real Me

Spanderverse: Confusion of Three

Preludes

Tensions

Old Friends

Hospital Visits

The Risks of Glory

Hunting Our Needs

The Family We Choose

Falling Apart

Sunnydale Antics

Feints and Counter-Feints

Pathways

BTVS: The Body – **have you gone and watched or re-watched it yet? Well, go…do….**


End file.
